Tire chain applying device



March 18 P941. w TEMME 2,235,691

TIRE CHAIN APPLYING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1939 INVENTOR William H.Temme ammr HTTORNEKS ill lid

Patented Mar. 1 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,235,691 TIRE 01mmAPPLYING nov ce William H. lemme, New Remington, Pa.

Application March 11, 1939, Serial No. 261,213

1 Claim.

This device relates to a tire chain applying device, the primary objectof the invention being to provide a device ior temporarily holding oneend of a tire chain in position on a vehicle tire, while the chain isbeing wrapped around the tire by the rotation of the tire. Alter thechain has been positioned around the tire, the ends of the chain arebrought together and lastened to each other in any acceptable manner.

A further object or the invention is to provide a device which is simplein construction and operation, inexpensive to make and which can bereadily placed on or removed from an automobile tire and which will notinjure the tire in its use.

Another object is to provide a rugged device which may be employed toapply chains evenly around a tire as the wheel is rotatedlwhich may beoperated without lifting the wheel from the ground, and which may beused with various sizes of tires.

Still another object of my invention is to produce a unique clamp whichwill permit a. mem-- her to be readily movable in one direction andrigidly held against movement in the opposite direction, the clamp beingreleasable so that clamp member can be readily moved in either(iirection;

These and other objects are obtained by means, the preferred embodimentoi which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a vehicle tire and wheel showing myimproved device attached to the tire in the initial position of applyinga a tire chain on the tire;

Figure 2 is an edge view oi the tire showing the device in position onthe tire and just be fore thedevice is clamd;

Figure 3 is a sectional view oi one end oi the device, but to anenlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a view in elevation oi the sam end of the device illustratedin Figure 3 and to the same scale;

Figure 5 is a view in elevation oi one end of the device showing afastening lug and a portion of the tire chain; and

Figure 6 is an elevation of a modification oi the device. 7

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the.

The device or tool l6 comprises essentially an arcuate body member orstrap l1 constructed oif a length of rigid metal which is given theshape (Cl. a1--1s.s)

of an arch, of such dimensions as to reach transversely around the tirefrom one side to the other. At one end of the member l1 there isprovided an inwardly extending chain engaging stud or lug l8 which hasan enlarged rectangular end portion IS, the long axis oi which isparallel to the axis passing lengthwise from end to end through the bodymember IT. The long side of the end portion I9 is of a dimension whichwill readily pass through'the lengthwise opening of one of the links 01the side chain it. The lug I8 is preferably made of a length such thatthe inner end of portion it will not bear against the tire walls. Thiswill cause the side chain itself tobe forced against and strongly gripthe walls or the tire. There will be no tendency for the tire wall to betorn or injured by the contact oi the lug it against it.

The other end oi the member it" has an opening it through which projectsa suitable fasten ing member or clamping pin it which is slidablyreceived in the openingit. The lug it and the pin ti are in transversealignment. The fastening member or rain ti has a stem it which isrounded at the inner end it. Spaced from the end it, at a distancesumcient to receive the side chain it, but not sumcient to allow the endit to bear against the side wall oi the tire, is a shoulder it securedto the stem lit. The shoul der bears against the side chain it andiorcca it against the tire to strongly grip the side walls and thus theend it is not forced into contact with the tire wall. The outer end ofthe stem has secured thereto an enlarged head it.

Secured to the body member ii and adjacent the end through which theclamping pin it slides is a lJ-shaped spring member it having a finedleg ii which is fastened to the member it, for example, by riveting anda movable leg it which from the member ill. The movable leg 28 has anopening it through which the stem it oi. the

pin it passes. The opening i9 is shaped so that when the movable leg itis moved toward the member l! to the position shown in dotted lines inFigure 3, the stem it "slides freely through the opening 29, but whenthe movable leg i8 is away irom the member ill, the stem i2 is securelyheld against outward movement but permits inward movement of the pin 22,that is, toward the stud it.

In Figure 6 there is shown another embodiment of my invention. In thisdrawing the various parts heretofore described in connection withFigures 1 through 5 are designated by the same numerals with a primesufilx. In this device the spring member 26' has a fixed leg 21' whichextends along the member l'l' away from the end and the movable leg 28'extends in the opposite direction outwardly and angularly away from themember ii. The portion 21' of the spring member 26 lying along themember I 'l' is secured thereto by suitable means such as riveting. vTheopening 29' cooperates with the stem 22' in the same way as does theopening 29 in leg 28, shown in Figures 2 and 8.

To use the device it one of the links adjacent the end of the side chainI 3 is engaged by the stud i 8 while a corresponding link on the sidechain it is engaged by the inner end 23 of the fastening pin 2i. Thetool I8 is then placed to partly encircle the tire at a suitableposition, preferablyat the rear, as shown in Fi ure 1 and the fasteningpin ii is pressed inwardly so that the end 23 thereof enters a side linkand the shoulder 24 forces the side chain l4 firmly against one side ofthe tire ii while the side chain I3 is forced into engagement with theopposite side of the tire. The wheel i0 is then rotated 'in thedirection of the arrow and the chain is wound around the tire in theusual manner. After the chain is fully wound on the tire; the ends ofthe chain are secured together by any suitable fastening device. Thetool is then removed by forcing the free lug 2B of the spring 28 towardthe member il, whereupon the pin 2i can be readily moved to a positionclear of the tire and the tool is then disengaged from the side chainsand removed from the tire.

While I have illustrated and described the present preferred embodimentof my invention, it will be understood that the description is by way ofexample only and that the invention may be otherwise embodied o'rpracticed within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A device for attaching tire chains having side chains and cross chainsto a tire, which device comprises an arcuate body member adapted to spana tire, a tire-chain engaging stud projecting inwardlyfrom the innerfaceof-one end of the member, a clamping pin projecting inwardly fromthe other end of the member and oppositely disposed relative to thestud, said stud being of a height which is less than the thickness ofthe side chain and of dimensions less than the openings in.the sidechains, said clamping pin having an end which not such dimensions thatit may bereceived in the openings in the side chains and having achain-engaging shoulder thereon spaced from the inner end of the pin adistance which is less than the thickness of the side chain, and meansfor releasably holding the pin rigidly against sliding movement in adirection away from the said stud only, said means comprising a leafspring having a fixed leg fastened to the' body member and a free legwhich extends along and angularly away from the body member and hastherein an opening through which the clamping pln'passes, thearrangement being such that when the free leg is in position near thebody member the pin can readily be moved toward or from the stud butwhen the free leg is distant from the body member the pin is freelymovable toward the stud but immovable away from the stud.

WILLIAM H. 'I'EMIME.

